Gan Nashim Growing Strong Jewish Girls PILOT

Transcription

1 Gan Nashim Growing Strong Jewish Girls Curriculum & Cooking Program PILOT SAMPLE LESSON For information about running Gan Nashim in your camp please or call

2 Authors: Judith Belasco Contributing Authors: Deborah Newbrun, Sarah Shulman, Daniel Infeld 2012 Pilot Camps: TBD Consultant: Catherine Steiner-Adair The Hadassah Foundation has provided generous support for the creation and implementation of Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls. Hazon gratefully acknowledges support from the following funders who sponsor our food work. 18 Pomegranates Anonymous Birthright Israel NEXT The Jewish Education Project The Covenant Foundation Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties FJC: A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds Lisa and Maury Friedman Foundation Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund Hillel Soref Initiative Jim Joseph Foundation Lucius N. Littauer Foundation MASA Israel Journeys Mazal Foundation Nash Family Foundation Newton and Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust Oreg Foundation The Pears Foundation Rose Community Foundation The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life UJA Federation of New York And thank you to the riders and sponsors of the New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride, California Ride, and the Arava Institute Hazon Israel Ride, all of which significantly support our food work. Hazon 125 Maiden Lane, Suite 8b New York, New York Copyright 2011 by Hazon, Inc. All rights reserved. Hazon works to create healthy and sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond. Jewish inspiration. Sustainable communities. Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 2

3 Overview Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls During camp, girls spend more time outdoors and in physical proximity to each other, as girls eat, sleep, and play together for weeks and months. Camp can provide an opportunity to create a positive, supportive community instead of an environment where girls compare bodies, wondering how they measure up, or fall short, against their bunkmates, and fostering a breeding ground for disordered eating. In the spirit of supporting camps to be sources of primary prevention against disordered eating, Hazon developed Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls. Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls is a health and cooking program which draws upon Jewish tradition to address contemporary challenges of having and maintaining a healthy diet in today s world. The program specifically focuses on teaching conscious and healthy eating with a Jewish spirit and is designed to be used in camps in a variety of different formats. With an overt focus on healthy eating, Gan Nashim includes hands-on activities and exercises which build skills that the girls can bring back home to support healthy eating throughout their lives. By embarking on the Gan Nashim program as a group, they will create community around food and Judaism. After leaving the residential camp setting, Jewish tradition will continue to serve as a source of guidance as they navigate adolescence and beyond. Gan Nashim can be used as an independent program or it can be used in conjunction with Bishivili For Me: A Jewish Guide to Full of Ourselves, a wellness program to advance girl power, health, and leadership. Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 3

4 Goals of the Program Support raising strong, healthy Jewish girls by drawing on Jewish wisdom about caring for our bodies and healthy eating; Strengthen Jewish girls ability to make healthy food choices by strengthening girls connections to Jewish values, rituals and practices; Increase the knowledge that campers have about healthy eating and create a Jewish framework for food choices; Support summer camp experiences that are deeply rooted in Jewish values and connected to Jewish girls everyday lives, leaving them with a strong foundation to draw upon as they grow into Jewish adults. Benefits from Gan Nashim For the campers, Gan Nashim demonstrates how vitally relevant Jewish tradition is today as they consider the importance of healthy normal eating in their lives. Gan Nashim strengthens campers identity by linking something they do every day eating! with Jewish tradition and values. For the counselors, this program provides an outlet for conversations about healthy food, Jewish tradition, and the world around us. It is a supportive framework for counselors to ensure that campers have a healthy summer. In addition, it can create a supportive framework for counselors, outside of the actual program, who often struggles with these issues. For the camp, Gan Nashim offers an innovative way to engage campers. Gan Nashim taps into girls interest in food and stimulates important conversations about healthy eating and reframes the role of Jewish tradition in their lives. For the families, we hope that their daughter s experience with Gan Nashim is one that they carry forward with them as they continue to develop a mature Jewish identity and establish healthy habits that may last a lifetime. Curriculum Summary Unit One Shmirat Ha guf - Taking care of our Bodies focuses on the big Jewish idea that shmirat ha guf derives from the teaching that human beings are create in the image of G-d (Genesis 1:27). Since we are created in the image of G-d, then we must be careful with our bodies and take our health seriously. The campers explore what they are already doing to care for themselves as a foundation for learning more about healthy eating. Unit One Cooking is Yummy Icy Pops. While the ice pops you buy are often filled with lots of unpronounceable ingredients, these pops are all made only from ingredients you can recognize. These homemade pops encourage campers to enjoy the sweetness found naturally in fruit and the individual pops allow for easy understanding of an appropriate portion one pop is the serving size. Unit Two Power of Brachot & Mindful Eating explores that brachot teach us to see many of the elements of our daily life including (or especially) our food as gifts and to express appreciation for Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 4

5 them. As campers uncover the power of saying brachot, they can develop a greater appreciation for their food not just what we eat but also how we eat. Some find that blessings help them to eat more mindfully and savor every taste and smell and texture. Brachot charades and a mindful eating exercise allow campers to engage in the exploration of brachot. Unit Two Cooking is Oatmeal Cinnamon Cranberry Cookies. While the cookies are still just that cookies and need to be eaten in moderation, these cookies are also loaded with healthy ingredients such as whole wheat flour, oats, cranberries, and pecans. Campers will both be mindful of how to balance cookies with a diet filled with lots of other healthy foods and campers will determine the appropriate bracha for the various ingredients thus considering how each of them are grown. Unit Three Fueling Our Amazing Bodies allows campers to reflect on the role of the Asher Yatzar blessing when we give thanks to G-d for good health as it acknowledges the ability to go to the bathroom, for without it, we wouldn t be able to live. The blessing is an expression of our awe for G-d s creation (us). In addition, an exploration of Jewish texts in relation to idea about how and how much we eat opens up a conversation about the super-sized portion distortion that we encounter all around us and how to better balance our plates. Unit Two Cooking is Popcorn Taste Test. At camp, we have lots of opportunities to choose between food that is healthy, and food that is not so healthy. How do we make those choices? Popcorn can be a healthy, whole food snack that you can regularly enjoy or it can be covered with salt and butter, like at the movie theater, and become a snack that is best to avoid. Campers will do a popcorn taste test, comparing the different popcorn flavorings, and then visualize what popcorn portion distortion really means before deciding how much popcorn to eat. Unit Four Go for Healthy Eating considers the idea that Jewish tradition recognizes that how we eat is impacted by the food choices around us. If there are vegetable gardens in town, you are probably going to eat more veggies by extension probably have a healthier life than if there were no fresh vegetables available in town. An exploration of Go, Slow, Whoa foods presents an easy-to-understand system for making healthier food choices. Cooking Unit Four is Rainbow Salad with Goodness-filled Dressing. Salad is too often thought of as a food that is good for you but doesn t actually taste good. If you make sure to use the freshest ingredients possible (a trip to a local farmers market could be a great addition to this unit) and involve the campers in the process of building the salad, you should be happily surprised at how much they enjoy it! Bishvili: For Me and Full of Ourselves: A Wellness Program Advancing Girl Power, Health and Leadership (FOO) Gan Nashim was inspired by the work done by Catharine Steiner-Adair in Bishvili: For Me and Full of Ourselves: A Wellness Program Advancing Girl Power, Health and Leadership (FOO). Catharine Steiner- Adair is a clinical psychologist and school consultant, Director of Eating Disorders Education and Prevention at McLean Hospital, and in the Department of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School. Full of Ourselves is an upbeat educational program that aims to sustain girls in their mental, physical, and social health and to decrease their vulnerability to the development of body preoccupation and eating disorders. As a primary prevention program, Full of Ourselves targets a general (healthy) population of girls; no one need be at risk for an eating disorder to participant. Full of Ourselves has been successfully implemented by schools, after-school programs, town libraries, and synagogues. In partnership with Hazon, we are excited to present a residential camp program built off of this work. For more information about Bishvili or Full of Ourselves, visit Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 5

6 Unit One Shmirat Ha guf - Taking care of our Bodies Big Jewish Idea Shmirat ha guf is the Jewish concept for taking care of our bodies. It is about how we care for our physical bodies, like through regular physical activity, proper eating, and getting enough sleep, and how we maintain a healthy relationship to our bodies, like through respecting our and others bodies. Shmirat ha guf is about taking care of our inner selves and not about how we package the outside of our bodies with make-up and getting dressed up in fancy clothing. The big Jewish idea of this first unit is to appreciate that shmirat ha guf is the practice from the teaching that human beings are created in the image of G-d (Genesis 1:27). Since we are created in the image of G-d, then we must be careful with our bodies and take our health seriously. The big idea from this unit is the foundation for Gan Nashim as Units 2-4 focus on how we care for our bodies. Materials Flip chart paper or other way to record brainstorm Tape to put up flip chart paper Markers Gan Nashim Song sheet optional Cooking See Yummy Icy Pop optional Hillel & the Bathhouse optional unit extension Advance Preparation On large paper, write out the B tzelem Elohim pasuk (verse) from Genesis 1:27 and questions found in section 3 below 1. Get into Your Body, Get into Your Self (5 minutes) Opening Movement Stand in a circle we are going to move our bodies to help us feel them. If you know a few stretches, lead the group. For example, touch your toes and then reach for the sky. You can also start by doing a wiggle dance. Start by wiggling your feet, and then your legs, and then your hands slowly move up your whole body. Opening Song Opening with a song can help to knit the girls together. If there is already a culture of singing at your camp, select a favorite or choose one from the Gan Nashim Song Sheet. To maintain continuity, you may choose to use this song during all the sessions. 2. Caring for our Bodies (10 minutes) Introducing the Big Jewish Idea Ask the question, what do you do to take care of your body? Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 6

7 Write down all responses. Prompt them to create a complete list by asking, what do you do to take care of your physical body? And what do you do to have a healthy relationship to our body? You should also add some of your own ideas, especially if there is something that you do that you think the campers might want to model as a healthy way to take care of themselves. Be sure to include the following idea: Shmirat ha guf is the Jewish concept for taking care of our bodies. It is about how we care for our physical bodies, like through regular exercise, proper eating, and sleep, and how we maintain a healthy relationship to our bodies, like through respecting our and others bodies. 3. B tzelem Elohim (10 15 minutes) Introduce the idea that B tzelem Elohim is the concept that each person is created in the image of G-d. The idea of B tzelem Elohim is the foundation for the practice of shmirat ha guf. Post the flip chart paper with the following pasuk and questions: And G-d created man in His image, in the image of G-d He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 - What do you think the Torah means when it is written that people are created in G-d s image? - Shmirat ha guf is the obligation to care for our bodies. How should we care for our bodies if we are created in G-d s image? - What is one decision you made today about food or exercise that reflects this value? Ask everyone to find one other person discuss the pasuk and questions with together. (5 7 minutes) Bring the group back together and summarize: What does it mean to practice shmirat ha guf? Why should we practice shmirat ha guf? 4. Cooking: Yummy Icy Pops (15-20 minutes+ freezing time of 2 hours) Eating in a way that cares for our bodies can still be delicious! Ice pops are sweet, colorful, lickable cold treats that can be filled with good things that are good for you. While the ice pops you buy are often filled with lots of unpronounceable ingredients, these pops are all made from ingredients you can recognize! These homemade ice pops encourage campers to enjoy the sweetness found naturally in fruit. Also, the individual pops allow for easy understanding of an appropriate portion one pop is the serving size. Seeing the Cooking Section below for complete instructions on how to organize and make the pops. 5. Closing Circle (5-10 minutes) Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 7

8 Gather everyone in a big circle for a closing whip circle. Have each person share one way they want to practice shmirat ha guf. Whip around the circle. Make sure to include yourself in the circle, either you can go first and model an answer or you might choose to go last and also reflect on the campers answers and the time together. Closing song (either a repeat from the opening song or another familiar song) Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 8

9 Cooking: Yummy Icy Pops Ice pops are sweet, colorful, lickable cold treats that can be filled with good things that are good for you. While the ice pops you buy are often filled with lots of unpronounceable ingredients, these pops are all made from ingredients you can recognize! Organizing Cooking with Campers Before the campers arrive, set up a station for each ice pop you will make and have all the ingredients and cooking equipment already at the station except for the blender. The blender should be in a central location since all the groups will be using it and it should be used under adult supervision. 2-4 campers should be assigned to each recipe. They should follow the recipe putting all the ingredients into the large bowl at their stations. When they are ready, they can use the blender with adult supervision. Depending on the size of your group, plan to make 2 4 different ice pops either the ones below or be creative and make your own combinations! Introducing the Recipe & Shmirat ha guf Give a short explanation of how the activity is organized review what is happening for making the icy pops. Explain that while the ice pops you buy in a supermarket are often filled with lots of unpronounceable ingredients, these pops are all made from ingredients you can recognize! Everyone will be able to enjoy the sweetness found naturally in fruit. Also, the individual pops allow for easy understanding of an appropriate portion one pop is the serving size. Shmirat ha guf is the caring for our bodies. How do we practice this idea when we choose our homemade ice pops over processed, store bought ones? What are other examples of practicing shmirat ha guf that happen when you cook your own food? Note about Ice Pop Molds If your camp doesn t have plastic molds, just pour the ice pop mixture into paper cups and stick them in the freezer. After about an hour, insert a wooden stick into each cup - the mixture will have solidified enough that the stick should stay upright. Continue to freeze until totally solid about 1 2 hours. To remove the pops from their molds, run them under cool running water for a few seconds to loosen them. If you're using paper cups, just tear the paper away. Unmold and lick away! Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 9

10 Watermelon Wowzers Makes 6 large pops or 12 smaller ones Ingredients 4.5 cups watermelon 3/4 cup water 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice Cooking Equipment Measuring cups 1 cup, ½ cup, ¼ cup 1 cutting board 1 knife Large bowl 1 freezer mold or paper cup and craft stick per camper Instructions Cut the watermelon's soft insides into chunks and remove the seeds with your fingers. Put watermelon, water, and orange juice in a bowl. Blend everything in a blender. Pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for 2 hours or until solid. Berry Yogurt Pop Makes 6 large pops or 12 smaller ones Ingredients 2 cups fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and sliced bananas, mixed 2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt 3 tbsp honey or ¼ cup white sugar Cooking Equipment Measuring cups 1 cup, ¼ cup Measuring spoons 1 tablespoon Large bowl 1 freezer mold or paper cup and craft stick per camper Instructions Put berries, bananas, yogurt, and honey or sugar into a bowl. Blend everything in a blender. Then stir in the peanuts for texture. Pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for 2 hours or until solid. Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 10

11 Honeyed Peach and Blueberry Pops Makes 6 large pops or 12 smaller ones Ingredients 2 cups peaches 1 tbsp water 1 tbsp honey 1 pint blueberries 1/4 tsp sea salt Cooking Equipment Measuring spoons 1 tablespoon, ¼ teaspoon Vegetable peeler Knife Large bowl 1 freezer mold or paper cup and craft stick per camper Instructions Peel the peaches, cut in half and remove the pit. Put peaches, water, honey, blueberries, and salt into a bowl. Blend everything in a blender. Pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for 2 hours or until solid. Orange Cream Makes 6 small pops Ingredients 2/3 cup 1 % milk 1 1/3 cups orange juice 3 tbsp sugar ½ tsp vanilla Cooking Equipment Measuring cups 1 cup, 1/3 cup Measuring spoons 1 tablespoon, ½ teaspoon Whisk Large bowl 1 freezer mold or paper cup and craft stick per camper Instructions Whisk together milk, orange juice, sugar and vanilla until the sugar dissolves in a bowl. Blend everything in a blender. Pour into ice pop molds. Freeze for 2 hours or until solid. Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 11

12 Hillel & the Bathhouse Once when the sage Hillel had finished a lesson with his pupils, he proceeded to walk along with them. Master, they asked, where are you going? To perform a mitzvah, he answered. Which duty is that? To bathe in the bathhouse. Is that a religious duty? they asked. Yes! Somebody, appointed to scour and wash the statues of the king that stand in the theaters and circuses, is paid for the work, and is even associated with the nobility, he answered. Since that is so, how much more should I, who am created in the image and likeness of God, scour and wash myself? As it is written, In the image of G-d did G-d make humankind. (Bereishit 9:6) - Vayikrah Rabbah 34:3 Do you think Rabbi Hillel s comparison of statues and people is a good one? Why or why not? How does this story show us about the Jewish value of shmirat ha guf? What else can we learn about shmirat ha guf from the connection to the concept of B tzelem Elohim, being created in the image of G- d? Gan Nashim: Growing Strong Jewish Girls 12